Yamiri is actually no Hausa or Fulani word like most people will think, neither does it have any meaning in any of these languages. The word Yamiri originated as a mockery to the Igbo captives during the civil war (a.k.a Nigerian-Biafra war). This captives were usually starved or poorly fed. Most of them who can only speak the Igbo language will only try to request for water from their captors and would say nye m mmiri which means 'give me water' when translated to english language. Nye m mmiri was what the Hausa/Fulani soldiers pronounced as Yamiri which later became a mockery name for the Igbos. This name has been able to stick around till date as a mockery name for Igbos even with most of them(Hausas, Fulanis and Igbos) not knowing it's actual origin.

what about the mockery word aboki which is used by easterners and westerner to refer to all northerns?

MANGAM: what about the mockery word aboki which is used by easterners and westerner to reffer to all northerns?

Someone told me that "aboki" means "my friend" Don't know if its true.

The Hausa-Fulani were calling the Igbo 'Nyamiri' before the Civil War.

Aboki means my friend in Hausa language .

whirlwind7:

Someone told me that "aboki" means "my friend" Don't know if its true.

chuxyz: Yamiri is actually no Hausa or Fulani word like most people will think, neither does it have any meaning in any of these languages. The word Yamiri originated as a mockery to the Igbo captives during the civil war (a.k.a Nigerian-Biafra war). This captives were usually starved or poorly fed. Most of them who can only speak the Igbo language will only try to request for water from their captors and would say nye m mmiri which means 'give me water' when translated to english language. Nye m mmiri was what the Hausa/Fulani soldiers pronounced as Yamiri which later became a mockery name for the Igbos. This name has been able to stick around till date as a mockery name for Igbos even with most of them(Hausas, Fulanis and Igbos) not knowing it's actual origin.

ibos claiming every word originated from there language....hausas have been calling ibos nyamiri b4 d civil war

tobtap:
ibos claiming every word originated from there language....hausas have been calling ibos nyamiri b4 d civil war

were you born before the civil war to know if they call Igbos yamiri before then? My late grandfather who fought in the civil war who does yam business between North and South-east before and after the civil war narrated the story to me. I'm very sure it didn't start before the civil war else my grandfather would have told me they use to call him that before the civil war. What do we gain for claiming words. Go ask any hausa man the meaning of yamiri - it has no meaning in their language. The word was coined from igbo language.

The word doesn't stop Igbo from being Igbo.

chuxyz: were you born before the civil war to know if they call Igbos yamiri before then? My late grandfather who fought in the civil war who does yam business between North and South-east before and after the civil war narrated the story to me. I'm very sure it didn't start before the civil war else my grandfather would have told me they use to call him that before the civil war. What do we gain for claiming words. Go ask any hausa man the meaning of yamiri - it has no meaning in their language. The word was coined from igbo language.

have you read kaduna boy written by late chief Bola Ige? when he was a kid living at zaria the igbos in his compound were called that [not in their prescence though o] and that was way before the civil war

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chuxyz: Yamiri is actually no Hausa or Fulani word like most people will think, neither does it have any meaning in any of these languages. The word Yamiri originated as a mockery to the Igbo captives during the civil war (a.k.a Nigerian-Biafra war). This captives were usually starved or poorly fed. Most of them who can only speak the Igbo language will only try to request for water from their captors and would say nye m mmiri which means 'give me water' when translated to english language. Nye m mmiri was what the Hausa/Fulani soldiers pronounced as Yamiri which later became a mockery name for the Igbos. This name has been able to stick around till date as a mockery name for Igbos even with most of them(Hausas, Fulanis and Igbos) not knowing it's actual origin.

The Hausa/Fulani have been calling the Igbo YAMIRI for a very long time before the civil war. the origin like my Grandfather (who settled in the far north in the late1930s) once told me was a result of excessive heat often experienced by newly arrived Igbo traders which made them request for water at every point in time to quench their thirst, as a result 'nye mu mmiri' became the first igbo word the hausas knew, so also is 'aboki' vice versa
More so, a review of some civil war literature will educate you better, i recommend you read AlexAnder Mmaduebo's civil war memoir, Chimamanda Adichie's half of a yellow sun, Chinua Achebe's There was a country and many others.

The civil war only made the name more popularly used since it became some sort of mockery to civil war captives mostly at the Enugu axis of the Biafran territory which borders Northern nigeria.
Just like 'Aboki' which had been in use for only God knows when but you will agree with me that its becoming more popular almost eliminating 'mallam' that was in vogue before why? because 'Aboki' have recently become a mockery name for Hausas/Fulanis

Wrong ·Yamiri· was not created during the Biafra war although it is a mockery name from the Hausa to the Igbos it has always existed decades before that war. In fact that definition is at the limit of an insult to any Igbo called so but certainly a lack of respect to be called Yamiri.

In fact the Hausas don't pronounce the word Yamiri but they say Nyamiri.

whirlwind7:


Someone told me that "aboki" means "my friend" Don't know if its true.

Well.... Hope this answers your question

What do you mean what does it mean? What about yoruba or bayarabe as we call it? FYI yoruba is a hausa term and it doesn't really mean anything, just that we use it to refer to yorubas just as we use inyamiri (single) or inyamurai (plural) to refer to Igbos. You need to stop trying to stir hatred.

yamiri dodondoya